Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX150 Review

By
Movable Type Admin

Features & Controls

The all-glass Lumix DC VARIO ELMARIT 3.6x zoom lens is equivalent to a 28-100mm zoom on a 35mm camera. It
has a F2.8 (wide) to F5.6 (tele) maximum aperture. The lens is consturcted from 7 elements in 6 groups, including 4 aspherical lense and 5 aspherical surfaces. When powered down the lens retracts into the camera's body and is
protected by a built-in cover.

Shaky hands is the one of the biggest causes of blurry shots. LUMIX cameras help solve this problem with
advanced MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) technology. A built-in gyro-sensor detects any hand-shake
and a signal is relayed to a high precision control circuit built into the Venus Engine IV, which instantly
calculates the compensation needed. A linear motor then shifts the O.I.S. lens as necessary to guide
incoming light from the image straight to the CCD. Panasonic's highly evolved Venus Engine IV LSI makes
this process even faster and more accurate. This helps extend the MEGA O.I.S. correction range more than 3
steps below (slower than) the shutter speed that is generally considered to be the limit for handheld
shooting.

The large 2.7-inch color LCD has 230,000 pixels of resolution and is used for framing, review and menu operations. It offers 100%
frame coverage, and is a high-quality "Intelligent" LCD, which detects the lighting condition and adjusts brightness (11 steps)
accordingly. It also features Panasonic's High Angle mode. There is no optical viewfinder.

Controls on the back:

The Play/Record mode switch.

The 4-way selector in Record mode toggles the flash mode when pressed "Right." When pressed "Up" it adjusts
exposure compensation, "Left" to activate the Self-timer and press "Down" to enable Marco focus mode. In Playback mode the 4-way
selector is used to select images and in both record and play is used to navigate the menu screens. The MENU/Set button calls up and
dismisses the menu system as well as accepts menu selections. The DISPLAY button toggles the amount of overlay information shown on the
LCD. The Q.MENU button gives you access to the shortcut menu in record mode, and acts as the image delete option in playback mode.

On top you can see the built-in speaker, microphone, and Power on/off switch. Other controls
include the combination shutter release and zoom lens control ring asl well as the E.Zoom button. The zoom ring is used in
playback to enlarge the image or display an index page. You can also see the Mode dial, which has positions for Intelligent Auto, Program, Manual SCeNe, Movie, and Clipboard mode.

The DMC-FX150 features Component A/V output, perfect for connecting the camera to your HDTV.

The A/V Out port sends the video to a television set, the video format
is user selectable for NTSC or PAL standard. This is also the USB 2.0 (Full speed) data I/O
port, it is
Mass Storage compliant and also supports the PictBridge direct-print standard.

An optional
AC power adapter or external battery pack can be connected to the DC IN port.

The DMC-FX150 is powered by a proprietary 3.7v 1150mAh rechargeable Li-ion battery. Panasonic claims that a
fully charged pack will provide enough power for up to 330 frames using CIPA standard testing methods.

Visitors of Steves can visit the stores below for real-time pricing and availability. You can also find hot, soon to expire online offers on a variety of cameras and accessories at our very own Camera Deals page.